Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 186: The Immortal Cultivation Training Ground at Mount Mangshan
The distance from the imperial capital of Qi to Mount Mangshan is about 1,700 to 1,800 miles, but Li Xian leisurely took four days to arrive. Along the way, he certainly couldn’t resist observing Qi’s political situation and other matters.
From a distance, Mount Mangshan appeared with its towering peaks, mist floating around, and amidst the verdant mountains, there were even immortals flying like cranes.
On the outskirts of Mount Mangshan in Qi, there was a massive town teeming with people. Looking around, everything seemed to be named after the mountain, such as “Mangshan Mountain Spiritual Herbs,” “Mangshan Mountain Weapon Refining,” and “Mangshan Mountain Cultivation and Wisdom Hall,” which dazzled Li Xian.
Only Xu Ren narrowed his eyes, saying, “Young Master, this place surely has talent. If we can recruit some of them here, it will undoubtedly benefit the development of our group.”
Li Xian secretly nodded. Such a place certainly has talented individuals, but the main task at hand was not this; it was to visit the “Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field.”
After searching for a while, he really found something resembling a travel agency, called “Mangshan Mountain Guides.”
“What a great name!” Li Xian praised.
As he approached, a shop assistant immediately greeted him, “What can I help you with, sir? We are familiar with every corner of Mangshan Mountain, every organization, market, and trade situation, and know all the local rules…”
Li Xian directly interrupted the assistant’s chattering, “We want to visit the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field.”
The shop assistant immediately changed his tone, “Young Master, it’s already getting late today; if we set out now, we won’t reach the Dao Field until sunset, which will bring a lot of inconvenience. How about we leave early tomorrow morning? We’ll arrive by noon, and things will be much more convenient.”
Li Xian nodded, “Prepare us a place to stay. Also, send someone to explain the local situation to us, the more detailed the better.”
The shop assistant quickly calculated and said, “Thank you for your patronage. The total is 36 taels of gold. Accommodation and guiding services cost 8 taels of gold, and the detailed explanations will be 28 taels of gold.”
36 taels of gold, quite expensive.
Song Xing took out the gold to pay, and the shop immediately arranged accommodations and sent five relevant personnel to provide the explanations. The explanations were very detailed, including the history, legends, the current market situation, and even some conflicts between various powers.
In the middle of the night, the shopkeeper actually came in politely, “I am the shopkeeper here, also the owner, Chen Zhengfei, and I have heard of Young Master Li’s speeches, which I greatly admire. I would like to add a business to the guiding services here, such as acting as an agent for products from the Brilliant Stars Group. May I have the honor?”
Li Xian was overjoyed at this proposal. He had been considering it before, and now Chen Zhengfei had come to him. After seeing the prosperity of Qi and the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field, Li Xian wanted to open a commercial branch here to get a direct foothold. Since the “Mangshan Mountain Guides” were so familiar with the area, Li Xian became interested in recruiting them.
Li Xian did not hide his intentions anymore, “I was just thinking if we could cooperate. Your knowledge of this place has really opened my eyes.”
The two of them were now speaking frankly and quickly fell into a conversation.
After a while, Li Xian proposed the terms, “I have two cooperation options. First, you can be the general agent and purchase all the products from the Brilliant Stars Group at wholesale prices. Second, you can join the Brilliant Stars Group.”
Chen Zhengfei was slightly stunned, not expecting Li Xian to be so straightforward. After thinking for a moment, he regretfully declined to join the Brilliant Stars Group but chose to become the general agent. As the general agent, he could withdraw at any time, but joining the group would bring many inconveniences. The Brilliant Stars Group seemed good now, but in many people’s eyes, it was just a group of money-driven merchants who weren’t focused on their cultivation.
Li Xian didn’t show any disappointment, simply asking Song Xing to present the product list and explain each item. From colorful lanterns to glass products, from ordinary hemp cloth to silk satin, including steel, stainless steel, precision instruments, and sea soul silk—everything was listed, except for firearms.
Chen Zhengfei, however, was quite well-informed. “Young Master Li, I’ve heard that the Brilliant Stars Group produces machinery for making other machines. I wonder if they are for sale?”
Li Xian smiled generously, “Shopkeeper Chen, would a person who sells eggs ever sell the hen?”
“Uh… Haha, Young Master Li’s analogy is really appropriate. Then, may I ask if I can set off now to Anyang in the Great Xia Kingdom to purchase goods?”
“Of course,” Li Xian answered promptly. After receiving the authorization, Chen Zhengfei left, clearly very pleased, even canceling the expenses for Li Xian and his group and offering what was said to be famous Mangshan Mountain Mao Feng tea.
Once Chen Zhengfei had left, Xu Ren shook his head in disbelief. “This Chen Zhengfei is letting go of a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed. If he had joined the group, the benefits would have been beyond imagination. He will regret it later.”
Li Xian smiled without saying anything. It was already midnight, and he didn’t lie down to rest. Instead, he sat in meditation until dawn. The next day, Chen Zhengfei was nowhere to be found, probably already heading to Anyang in the Great Xia Kingdom with his men to wholesale goods.
Getting into the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field was not easy. Although the Dao Field now claimed to be free, there were still precautionary measures. For example, many places had arrays, and one had to follow the correct path to proceed. These arrays were not only to protect the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field but also to safeguard the spiritual herbs. The entire Mangshan Mountain was part of the Dao Field, and no one was allowed to gather herbs. If caught, the punishment was death without mercy, and pursuit would continue even to the ends of the earth.
As Li Xian walked, he frequently encountered members and disciples of the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field.
Due to the mountain roads and arrays, he could only proceed on foot, which took half a day. Despite Li Xian being at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage and at the Golden Core level, he still felt somewhat dizzy and disoriented from the journey—it was truly chaotic. Sometimes he even had to walk backward to proceed, which greatly expanded his horizons. This made him even more intrigued by the arrays.
At noon, Li Xian finally reached the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field. It wasn’t as bustling with people as he had imagined. He guessed that the arrays outside were likely intended to prevent disturbances.
The guide left, and Li Xian walked up to the mountain gate, presented his invitation, and firmly requested to meet with the head of the Array Hall, Xiao Yuquan.
As for Xiao Yuquan, after Yang Zhong left, he began packing his things. The head and others of the Mangshan Mountain Cultivation Dao Field were very efficient and did not delay. Upon hearing that Xiao Yuquan was leaving, they did not ask for reasons but simply said to come back whenever there was an opportunity.
When Yang Zhong arrived, he came openly, and even if the head and others didn’t know the details, they could guess it was related to Yang Zhong. However, since the Dao Field was not a sect and Xiao Yuquan was not one of its trained disciples but rather a free agent, things were different.
However, Yang Zhong had mentioned that Li Xian would arrive in a few days, yet it had already been half a month, almost twenty days, and there had been no word.
That afternoon, Xiao Yuquan suddenly felt inexplicably irritable. He thought, could it be that Li Xian was about to arrive? Otherwise, he wouldn’t be having such a mood. After all, he was in the Nascent Soul stage. But a sudden change of mood often indicated something good. What benefits might Li Xian bring if he came? For a moment, Xiao Yuquan’s thoughts were in turmoil.